Thursday, March 31, 2011

On Friday, I asked my Facebook fans what they'd like to see on the blog this week. Eleanor requested a post about vintage spring and summer suits for travel. They were so elegant! I'm with you Eleanor. I like to people-watch in airports and I'm always pleasantly surprised when I see a woman traveling in a suit. She looks so much more sophisticated than the majority who are wearing sweats and flip-flops. For your inspiration today, suits for travel from 1956.

Davidow wool and mohair tweed suit with matching tasseled scarf. The jacket is belted. Sold for $150 in 1956 (about $1,220 in today's dollar.) Saddlebag styled purse by MacArthur.

David Crystal pale gray glen plaid suit in a rayon/Dacron blend. Dacron? That's polyester. This suit would resist wrinkling and be perfect for those long train trips. Sold for $40 in 1956 (about $325 in today's dollar.) Handbag by Josef.

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I have worn a vintage suit several times when traveling as well as other nice vintage dresses. I definitely get a lot of looks, because it is such a different way to be dressed for travel. I love it. To me, it is pretty fun to get dressed up to get on a plane. Not that air travel is that glamorous anymore, but it actually does make it more fun!

I wish more people dressed up to travel still. I love all these suits! The Davidow wool suit is amazing.

The last time I took a plane somewhere I was in jeans for the flight out. But while in Denver I bought a cute gray knit dress with ruffles and on the way home I thought, "This will be WAY more comfortable than sitting in jeans for hours and you don't really have to walk that far in most airports because of the moving sidewalks, so why not wear my cute strappy black heels?" I was so comfortable and I looked a lot better than most of the rest of the women on the flight. Many men still travel in suits, so why shouldn't we women step it up a notch too? :)

These suits are gorgeous, but probably stretch the comfort factor over a long day of travel.

I try to find a happy medium. I remember dressing to fly in our patent leather mary janes, velvet smocked dresses and starched petticoats. It wasn't comfortable but the excitement of flying usually kept our minds off that scratchy lace.

Nowadays I wear either a comfortable dark wash jean (for shorter flights) a silk tee and bring a cashmere sweater and wrap. For longer flights where I'm going to try to sleep, I wear black stretch crepe pants. Shoes are usually something that can be slipped off/on easily going through security.

I also wish people dressed up just a little bit more to travel. Sitting next to someone in sweats and a stained tee shirt takes some of the romance out of travel and adds to the "cattle car" feeling of being crammed into a small space.

I personally travel in suits- I find them just as comfortable as sweats but you look so much nicer. You just need a nice pair of low heeled shoes and you are ready to go. You can take the jacket off if you get too warm or put it back on if it gets a bit chilly. On my last flight I was the only woman wearing a suit. Everyone else was dressed so sloppily. I hate to sound old fashioned, but why can't people make an effort?

A friend of mine who travels internationally says he always wears at least a jacket (if not a tie) because he gets treated better on the plane if he does.

The fun and "romance" of air travel is long gone, I'm afraid. But I'm weary of the sweats and tiny shorts most passengers sport, as well. I wear a skirt or dress, usually, and wear shoes I can walk in that aren't awful.

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A blog for lovers of vintage clothing and fashion, where you can learn about vintage styles, designers, and design concepts through photos from the past. I also feature vintage garments available for sale at my website. Your comments are welcome! Shop http://www.coutureallure.com/ for the best in vintage fashion.